The recent information listed in the blog Talk Tyria has generated a lot a good information for the highly anticipated MMO GW2. Most discussion posts are addressing the guild membership aspects of things but what set a fire in my brain was one single suggested feature:
+ Specific guilds will be able to capture keeps within WvWvW PvP, and be able to use their Influence to create upgrades to those keeps.
I believe there is a TON of potential to be considered here. The "Capture the Keep" feature in MMOs is not new. Games dating back to Dark Age of Camelot have it. Concept is simple enough- overrun the keeps defenses. Beat the boss and pound your chest for a time.
For the longest time I have wondering if there was a possibility to bridge a RTS game (where you "own" a castle, build it up, then attack others with your troops, etc. with a MMO. I think the key is something like Dynamic Events.
What if...
You unlock the ability to build and run your own castle that can be set up in this WvWvW zone. You can gather resoruces you need throughout the game on your journey (from sturdy wood, mine stone/iron, etc. you can build structures to attract units or recruit them in your travels (rescue a guard, help out a humanoid creature, sway a centaur to join you, etc.)These units act as your army to defend or assault other keeps. When you get to the point where your keep is "raidable" you can choose to raid other player run or guild run keeps. An attack is executed and when the troops reach their destination an dynamic event unfolds. Much like NPCs raiding that village you started out at. Except you decide which troops will be used at certain points of the DE.
For example: Player A has a keep and wants to raid Player B village for loot. He has acquired from his travels and dealings about 300 troops. 50 are foot soliders 50 are ranged archers 50 are casters 50 are healers and the remaining troops are humanoid monster variety . The player run DE assault system pops up and gives Player A is choices:
Event 1: Siege 10 minutes - Objective: Set up weapons/ protect from destruction. Player A must bring his weapons up and protect them from the castle defender. Whatever weapons are up when time runs out are usable for the assault. Up to 50 units can be deployed in this stage. Whatever units remain after the event can rollover to Event 2
Event 2: Barrier assault - 20 minutes - Objective: Gain access/entry to the inside of the enemy fort. Up to 100 units can be deployed. Players will use units to smash doors, try to scale walls, assist in breaking weakened walls from siege hits, etc. Defender uses wall defenses (oil, ballista, etc) and/or a counter assault (up to 100 defender npcs) to thwart the effort. Whatever units remain can be utilized for final phase of DE.
Event 3: Raid/Pillage 20-30 minutes - Objective : units must plunder and bring loot to caravan. Up to 150 units plus Boss allowed. units will go to various structures and 'attack them" and loot gathered is dependent on structural damage inflicted. Defender tries to thwart this raiding. A Boss type is introduced and must be defeated as well.
Now, can other players participate in this event or is it just 1 cast army vs. another?
WHAT IF YOU COULD? - Like the GW Map - the village raid is a place that is labeled as an event. If players decide to join in they will asked to join the attacker or join the defender. Rewards are standard like any other DE, but you also get influence from the castle owners. The more influence you earn for other players, the better stuff you could get from that castle vendors, maybe rare stuff!
Just like a DE, the event can scale to the amount of players involved.
If you want to provide this feature for guild run castles instead of player run - no problem. you can still use this RTS style of play. The NPC units can keep smaller guilds more competitive with the larger guilds.
WIN-WIN
A-net gets another new feature to their game. Its like 2 games for the price of 1. More PvP content. Expansion Box opportunity - Border Wars. Potential for the holy Grail of MMOs - Player run content!
Cash Shop items - speed ups for structures, troop recruitment, movements, vanity items, fortress skins, specialty units and Bosses.
Players experience an optional RTS system within a MMO - a type of player who enjoys to manage a village, fort, compound, wizard tower, subterranean hovel, mountain hall, treetop base, underwater kingdom, etc.
Guild Halls can have bases which can be upgraded and protected. Perhaps if guilds reach a level of growth and dominance, then it can become a source for quests and missions in the area.
It is fruit for the taking. An Anet just be the compant to pull it off.
I think you fail to understand that this is an MMO first and foremost, not an RTS. So you won't be building up armies of NPCs, when you could just called up the 100 member of your guild an go raid the other guild's keep.
As has been said in some interviews, I think the majority of the NPC interactions you'll find in WvWvW would be in escort your supply caravan and hiring a few keep/castle guards, to slow down any attackers. That'll be pretty much it, because ArenaNet would rather have battles thought between hundreds on "players".
Also cash shop items that will effect gameplay in any major way goes against Arenane's philosophy. So we won't see anything like that happeneing.
Thu Sep 01 2011 7:45PM ReportLook at Dark age of camelot....IT already sounds like they are following a simlier format.
Fri Sep 02 2011 5:07PM ReportMMORPG.com writes:
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